Pray
by Snivilis
Summary: There are things, for which all you could is pray. PreDH


**Disclaimer:** Don't own.

**Author's notes:** This was done for a LJ comm challenge. The challenge was the word 'pray'. I wrote this at 3 am and had no connection to Internet or books, therefore, there is misspelling.

**What do you pray for?**

It was time. He had to go back to the Dursleys once again. It was the last time and that thought kept him walking towards the train. A foot going in front of the other one, over and over. The last time and it was dedicated to his teacher. All regrets and tears that were threatening to come up were suppressed once more, he was becoming used to doing that. And now it was time to go back to his nightmares once more. This time he had power over them at least, over the Dursleys that is.

Reaching toward the handle on the train steps to get on, Harry paused. Looking around he could see all of the sadness, loss and hopelessness hanging like a cloud in the station. A pang in his chest made him jerk back and climb the steps not looking back again.

This was the end, the last time he would see this place and these people. He was leaving and never coming back to the only place he considered home. Slowly a tear slid down his cheek but he ignored it. Other students averted their eyes when they saw him and ignored the tear too. It was over. He was done crying. There was nothing left but the thirst for revenge in his heart. He will kill the abomination that threatened his friends and killed the ones close to him.

All he had left now were the prayers. He prayed for quick death. He prayed for a chance to bring death. He prayed for freedom for the ones he loved. He prayed for the cold snow of winter to freeze him and take the fun out of his death to the one that wanted it most. Prayers were all he had left and he knew that soon that will be gone as well.

The summer was almost gone. His time with the Dursleys was also almost done. They hadn't bothered him this summer. They were afraid. Harry had spend the time at the house, sometimes even coming down to watch the news on TV, threatening Dudley if he tried to intervene.

He had felt his innocence die the moment his mentor had died. His childhood, such as it was, was gone and Harry had come to terms with that fact. Now he just needed to wait out his coming of age and then he could set out on his way after the horcruxes.

He had stopped praying for an escape some time ago. He knew there will be none. Who it was that he was praying to, he did not know, but prayers was all that was there.

He had found the next to last horcrux, except Nagini and Voldemort of course. Destruction was the only thing he could do, so destroyed it he did. It had cost him his left hand. He had been able to destroy the rest without much more damage than burned skin, or loss of senses for some time. The next to last one had been much harder to destroy. Every time he had to destroy one, he had come back to Godric's Hollow. It seemed appropriate in a way. Destroy them in a place where his life had been ruined.

He didn't have much time left, of that he was sure. He prayed his friends had better Christmas than him. Sometimes the prayer that he would be forgotten would come up, but he would hastily push it way. That was not a possibility.

It was winter now. He was in search of the last horcrux. The feeling of it being close ran through his bones, no matter where he went. He always stayed away from Godric's Hollow unless he had a horcrux to destroy, but the search was frustrating him. Coming to his parent's house, or its ruins, was the only place he could think where he might come up with a possibility of a direction in which the search could start again. Harry never saw the dark figures following him to the house.

He was almost out of prayers. Repeating them over and over seemed to get him just so far. His hope was disappearing but he continued praying none the less.

They had shoved him in a hole. Harry supposed it was a dungeon of some kind but it was definitely digged into the ground since there were snowflakes coming through the cracks on the ceiling. He had tried using wandless magic, they had apparently taken his wand away, but he didn't have much luck. He could feel the magic surrounding his confines preventing any way of escape.

He no longer prayed for death. He knew that was coming in the end. Now he prayed only for a way to destroy him. He prayed for a way to find the last piece of the puzzle.

They had hold him in the hole for 5 days. They had apparated some snow in for him, for water, Harry assumed. He had heard voices from the ceiling laughing and saying how he had to be somewhat presentable for their master. Harry hadn't known what that had meant. He wasn't allowed any food. The cold coming from the stone made him wonder if he would be able to move for very much longer. He was a bit afraid of frostbite.

On the sixth day, someone apparated in his cell and petrified him. Once he came to, he was in a big, salon type, room. Scrambling to his feet he had seen the Death Eaters, because that is all they could be, forming a half a circle around him. In front was a throne, covered in velvety drape, and on the throne was relaxing the one being that Harry truly wished torture on.

The Dark Lord had asked Harry several questions about the destroyed horcruxes. Harry had kept quiet, looking straight into his eyes and refusing to give him any information. The occulmensy he had finally learned this summer prevented the information being dragged out of him by force. Voldemort had tried ridiculing him about his lost hand, but Harry had still kept quiet. The Criciatuses that Voldemort send his way made his body weak, but Harry still did not give up. Kneeling on the floor, his body weak, Harry never stopped looking defiantly back at his torturer's eyes.

He prayed for strength. Strength to continue the fight, even thought he was at his enemy's mercy. He prayed for his mind to survive the pain of the curses thrown his way. He prayed for one last chance to destroy the evil torturing him. He prayed for forgiveness.

All of the questions asked of him had just made Harry more confused. Voldemort had counted out thehorcruxes that Harry had destroyed, knowing that Harry knew about what they were. Harry had also mentioned Nagini and Voldemort himself, as a shock value. It hadn't worked. Voldemort did not seem surprised he knew. What had shocked Harry, however, was the fact that the Dark Lord had asked HIM what the last horcrux was. He had seemed frustrated and annoyed, when that question was presented.

It had taken Harry seconds to make the connection. Voldemort had not finished making all of the horcruxes when he had attacked Harry and his parents. He seemed sure that Harry knew what it was, since he had been at Godric's Hollow and that, to the Dark Lord, had meant he had been there to destroy the horcrux.

Before he moved towards the snake-like monster to prove his theory right, Harry had seen a very slight nod from the side of his eye. That nod, had sealed his conviction. He new what the last horcrux was.

His prayers had been answered. He continued praying, but this time for luck. For speed. For true loyalty.

Harry knew there was only one way to kill two people with one killing curse. Those two bodies had to be connected. Not only touching, but sharing life essence. There was only one way to do that fast.

He prayed for the chance of surprise. He prayed for power. For love.

His movement was obviously unexpected. Harry supposed they had assumed him weak from a week without food and the multitude of curses. He had ran the ten feet to Voldemort and before creature had the time to get over his shock, or maybe had been a bit too arrogant in his own skills, Harry had reached him and done the one thing that he was sure no one was really expecting.

The moment he touched his lips to those of the Dark Lord, he heard a killing curse being yelled out and a snake scream. Harry's tongue had already slipped into the shocked mouth of the Dark Lord and at the killing curse obviously hitting Nagini, his mouth slightly curved into a smile. Green eyes had stared into red ones which were quickly changing from surprise to furry. Voldemort bit Harry's tongue, but he did not pull away, but instead left his blood to go into his enemy's mouth, sealing Harry's plan. He was not afraid, remembering instead his mentor's words: "To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure". Harry heard the killing curse being thrown again and saw the green light envelop him.

He had one last prayer. He prayed for peace. 


End file.
